Sham Stakes Racing Roundup

©2020 Calvin L. Carter. All rights reserved.

The Road to the Kentucky Derby takes us to California this Saturday where AUTHENTIC will go to the starting gate as 8-5 morning-line favorite in the $100,000 Sham Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park. Post time is 4:30 p.m. ET.

Trainer Bob Baffert brings Authentic into this off a maiden debut win at Del Mar on November 9. Here’s the video and chart call for that race:

AUTHENTIC had speed off the rail then dueled outside rival, took the lead into the stretch, inched away under left-handed urging in mid-stretch and proved best.   

Authentic dueled with Absolute Unit to the far turn and pulled away in the stretch to win by 1½ lengths over runner-up Jeffnjohn’sthundr.

Into Mischief, the sire of Authentic, was a precocious colt and multiple graded stakes winner that compiled a 3-3-0 record in six starts with $597,080 in career earnings.

As a two-year-old, Into Mischief easily won his maiden debut by 2½ lengths at Santa Anita Park on October 21, 2007. He went on to finish second in the Hollywood Prevue Stakes (G3) and followed that with a win in the 8½-furlong CashCall Futurity (G1). His finish time of 1:40.82 was just a few ticks off of the record time of 1:40.74 set by Afternoon Deelites and the second fastest time of 1:40.78 set by Valiant Nature.

In his debut as a three-year-old in February 2008, Into Mischief finished second to Georgie Boy in the San Vicente Stakes (G2). He came out of that race with an injury to his right-hind foot and he was taken off the Triple Crown Trail.

After an extended break, Into Mischief returned to racing in October winning the Damascus Stakes by two lengths. In December, Into Mischief finished his racing season with a second-place finish in the Malibu Stakes (G1).

Into Mischief’s best runners on the Kentucky Derby Trail have been Audible, Goldencents, Practical Joke, Vyjack and Vicar’s in Trouble. Audible won the Holy Bull Stakes (G2) and Florida Derby (G1) en route to a third-place finish in the Kentucky Derby (G1). Goldencents won the Santa Anita Derby and finished 17^th in the Kentucky Derby (G1). Practical Joke finished second in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) and fifth in the Derby. Vyjack finished third in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) and 18^th in the Derby. Vicar’s in Trouble won the Louisiana Derby and finished 19^th in the Kentucky Derby (G1).

Harlan’s Holiday, the grandsire of Audible, won the Florida Derby (G1), Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) and finished seventh in the Kentucky Derby (G1).

Authentic has a F Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and his Behavior Index makes him competitive in this race.

AZUL COAST (5-2) also comes into this race off a maiden debut win at Los Alamitos Race Course for trainer Bob Baffert. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

AZUL COAST fanned five wide into the first turn, chased off the rail then five wide down the backstretch and into the second turn, came six wide into the stretch, rallied to the lead while drifting in under left-handed urging nearing the furlong marker, drifted to the inside and won clear.

Azul Coast was interfered with on the first turn by Jeffnjohn’sthundr who swung five wide. Azul Coast trailed the rest of the field to the far turn when he made a big move in the stretch to take command and win by an impressive four lengths.

Super Saver, the sire of Azul Coast, was a multiple graded stakes winner and Classic Champion Thoroughbred that compiled a 3-2-1 record in 10 starts with $1,889,766 in career earnings. In addition, he was my pick to win the 2010 Kentucky Derby.

As a two year old, Super Saver was 2-1-0 in four starts and finished his racing season with a win in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) making him, along with Street Sense and Nyquist, among a select group of two year olds to win a major end-of-year prep race that went on to victory in the Derby.

As a three year old, Super Saver compiled a 1-1-1 record in six starts with a third-place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) and a gutsy second-place finish to Line of David in the Arkansas Derby (G1) in route to victory in the Kentucky Derby (G1).

As a stallion, Super Saver’s top-five, leading runners include Runhappy, Inside Straight, Competitive Edge, Embellish the Lace and Hedge Fund.

Azul Coast has an A+ Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and he was a yearling (Hip 1177) we profiled at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Azul Coast has the breeding to win this race and time will tell if he can step up to earn graded stakes honors.

UNCAPTURED HERO (6-1) comes into this race with a 1-0-0 record in two starts including a maiden win at Del Mar on November 9. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

UNCAPTURED HERO dueled between horses then outside the runner-up, regained the advantage under some left-handed urging in upper stretch, fought back under hand urging while being flagged with the stick in the final furlong and gamely prevailed.

Uncaptured Hero dueled with Defense Wins right from the start and prevailed at the finish to win by a head.

Uncaptured, the sire of Uncaptured Hero, was a Canadian-bred, multiple graded stakes winner that compiled a 7-3-3 record in 18 starts with $1,065,147 in career earnings.

As a two-year-old, Uncaptured was 6-0-0 in seven starts with wins in the Clarendon Stakes, Vandal Stakes, Swynford Stakes, Iroquois Stakes (G3) and Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2).

At the age of three, he was 1-3-2 in eight starts with a win in the Canadian Classic Prince of Wales Stakes. He finished second in the Horseshoe Casino Spiral Stakes (G3), Wando Stakes and Matt Winn Stakes (G3). He finished third in the Smarty Jones Stakes (G3) and Delta Mile Stakes.

Uncaptured made three starts at the age of four and finished third in the Gulfstream Park Handicap (G2).

Uncaptured Hero has a D Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and his Behavior Index makes him competitive in this race.

Honorable mention goes to Zimba Warrior (6-1).

*****

A total of 35 races comprise the Road to the Kentucky Derby. In addition, there are seven races on the European road to the Kentucky Derby and there three races on the Japan road to Derby glory.

2019/2020 KENTUCKY DERBY LEADERBOARD

Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings

1. Storm the Court, 22, Peter Eurton, $1,136,351

2. Anneau d’Or, 12, Blaine Wright, $381,000

3. Tiz the Law, 12, Barclay Tagg, $304,100

4. Shoplifted, 10, Steve Asmussen, $336,000

5. Maxfield, 10, Brendan Walsh, $300,000

6. Eight Rings, 10, Bob Baffert, $200,351

7. Silver Prospector, 10, Steve Asmussen, $197,351

8. Independence Hall, 10, Mike Trombetta, $165,000

9. Shotski, 10, Jeremiah O’Dwyer, $143,466

10. Dennis’ Moment, 10, Dale Romans, $137,800

11. Thousand Words, 10, Bob Baffert, $121,000

12. +Scabbard, 6, Eddie Kenneally, $178,000

13. Wrecking Crew, 5, Peter Miller, $293,000

14. Ajaaweed, 5, Kiaran McLaughlin, $75,000

15. Green Light Go, 4, Jimmy Jerkens, $210,000

16. Gouverneur Morris, 4, Todd Pletcher, $100,000

17. Answer In, 4, Brad Cox, $80,000

18. American Theorem, 4, George Papaprodromou, $60,000

19. Finnick the Fierce, 4, Rey Hernandez, $58,200

19. +Enforceable, 3, Mark Casse, $64,500

          + = Scabbard (Hip 802) and Enforceable (Hip 76) were colts we profiled at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

EUROPEAN ROAD LEADERBOARD

Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings

1. Kameko, 14, Andrew Balding, $192,894

2. Innisfree (IRE), 14, Aidan O’Brien, $127,856

3. Victor Ludorum, 10, Andre Fabre, $250,958

4. Royal Donarch (IRE), 10, Aidan O’Brien, $115,813

5. Alson (GER), 4, J.P. Carvalho, $135,572

6. Shekhem (IRE), 4, Dermot Weld, $24,068

7. Year of the Tiger (IRE), 3, Aidan O’Brien $36,086

8. Armory (IRE), 2, Aidan O’Brien, $258,793

9. Iberia (IRE), 2, Aidan O’Brien, $25,389

10. Gold Maze (GB), 2, Jessica Harrington, $12,034

11. Mogul (GB), 1, Aidan O’Brien, $111,879

12. Ecrivain (FR), 1, Carlos Laffon-Parias, $69.202

13. Camorra (IRE), 1, Ger Lyons, $3,610

JAPAN ROAD LEADERBOARD

Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings

1. Vacation (JPN), 20, Kenichi Takatsuki, $499,874

2. Dieu du Vin (JPN), 10, Yukihiro Kato, $159,609

3. Iolite (JPN), 8, Yoshinori Muto, $246,008

4. T’s Dunk (JPN), 4, Takashi Mizuno, $143,414

5. Shonan Mario (JPN), 4, Shizuya Kato, $96,526

6. Meisho Tensui (JPN), 2, Katsumi Miani, $255,394

7. Daimei Corrida (JPN), 2, Naoyuki Morita, $107,736

8. Aurora Tesoro, 1, Yoshihiro Hatakeyama, $99,395